Musings of a London Property Finder

Following our good news that house prices were up, lets rephrase that – the good news for Hackney Vendors that prices in Hackney rose by 0.1% in January.  Unfortunately we have no such glad tidings for vendors elsewhere in the UK and we have never acted as home search agents for residential home buyers in Hackney – we always end up in the smarter postcodes.

Prices in East Sussex, where we have a Country base are down 13.6% according to the Land Registry’s latest figures – so the gloom affecting Brighton estate agents doesn’t look like shifting.  No such gloom for Country Home Search Agents such as ourselves however.  We are managing to negotiate great discounts on property which has already been significantly discounted, such as the Hampshire home which Clients of ours have just moved into, purchased for 36% less than the initial asking price and 18% less than the ‘reduced’ price.

Most of the popular pockets in the Home Counties are down 13 or 14% and the Cotswolds are down 11% , with the execption of Gloucestershire where average prices are down 14%.  The shorter the Friday night exodus, the better for the traditional London getaways.

The same cannot be said for the further flung country locations.  Anglesey, Cumbria, Denbighshire, East Riding, Flintshire and Lincolnshire are all showing relatively healthy (?!) single figure annual price drops.  The prize for ‘Recession Busting House Prices’ must go to Glamorgan, where average prices have dropped a paltry 3.5%  since last year, unless you live in Cardiff, in which case your house has dropped 9% – in theory at least.  Happy days for the Welsh and that’s before we talk about the rugby!  Still, at least you’re in second place boys and winning streaks can’t go on forever!

So, in a nutshell, all areas we cover are down 10-14%, a few areas we don’t really do much in at all are sitting in single figure losses, but our Clients know that we will want to save more than 10% on every transaction, so take another 10% off at least and lots of stress, time and fruitless journeys to boot!  It remains to be said that the best property at the top end is not always on the market, so if you want a Property Finder in the know who will do the groundwork and find homes you thought you could only dream of - our number is 020 7923 7564.

Technorati Tags: Cotswolds Property Prices, Country Property Prices, county house prices, Home Counties Property Prices, Home Search Agents, House Prices, Property Finder

Tags: Cotswolds Property Prices, Country Property Prices, county house prices, Home Counties Property Prices, Home Search Agents, House Prices, Property Finder

 Musings of a London Property Search Agent

1. What kind of property they will be able to find you €“ do they think they will
   be able to find you property within your budget?  Some Property Finders will say anything
   to get the deal, others will only consider property in an estate agents
   window. Make sure you are being realistic and that your Home Finders have
   already thought of strategies to find you the home you want in the
   location you want before you sign up with them and that they can show you
   evidence that what they discuss with you is achievable. 
2. Are they really good at what they do? 
   Ask to speak to previous clients.
3. Will they be creative in their approach to your home search?  You don’t want a Property Finder who
   will depend on relationships with estate agents.  In all sectors of the market but particularly
   at the top end, property changes hands discretely, without officially coming on sale.  Ask your Home
   Search Agent about the strategies they will use to find your new home.
4. How will they go the extra mile and exceed what you could do yourself?  There is no point in paying someone for a service you could do or pay your PA to do at significantly less cost.  Even if you are busy and just want someone else to do the legwork, your Home Finders should be bringing
   something extra to the table.  We frequently inherit business from our competitors and our Clients are
   always surprised at the properties we source for them which our predecessors failed to find.
5. Do you like and trust them?  You will get more out of a Buyers Agent with whom you have a rapport and who genuinely understands your needs and concerns.  We find that many Clients choose a home
   which is different to the original brief. 
6. A good Property Finder will think laterally and suggest solutions which are a little left of centre in additon to finding properties which exactly fulfill your requirements.  But the Property Finder should also listen to you so the first homes they show you should be exactly on brief.  Do they listen to you and provide satisfactory answers at your initial meeting?  If they think they know best, they
   probably don’t.
7. Will they be able to show you property at a time which suits you?  If you work 8am €“ 6pm then you need a Property Finder who will be prepared to do viewings at weekends and in the
   evening or even first thing in the morning. 
8. Do they have contacts with builders, decorators, lawyers etc.  All reputable Property Finders will have
   a full contact book which they should gladly share with retained Clients.  You should also check
   whether or not they get paid for introductions to these individuals.  We don’t ever accept payment from anyone we recommend to our Clients but we are in a minority.
9. How many other Clients will they be dealing with at the same time?  Get a good idea of the manpower your Property Finder will put behind your home search.  To your Property Finder time is money,
   but it also takes time to find the best homes.
10. What is the background of your Property Finder?  Are they ex-estate Agents or do they still work for Estate Agents?  If so they are professional sellers rather than professional buyers.  A good Property Finder is not simply a good deal maker or broker.  In our view you need a Property Finder who is cool enough to walk away, if you are to secure the home you want at the best price.
11. Will your Property Finder be able to save you more than their fees?  In this market they should be able to do this.

Technorati Tags: 10 tips for property buyers, competitive bidding, Property Finder

Tags: 10 tips for property buyers, competitive bidding, Property Finder